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The test of electric travel kettles: with your samovar

Surprisingly, not all kettle manufacturers produce travel models. And for good reason: demand for them is stable, and closer to summer, they sell out like hotcakes. If the manufacturer’s range of conventional full-size kettles can be up to 40 ! models, there will be one or two on the road, no more. That’s why in most cases they don’t choose a travel kettle, they buy the first available, but it’s wrong.

Travel kettle

“What’s there to test!”

Even such simple equipment has its own nuances, which can please you on vacation or business trips, and can upset. Why? For example, some plastic kettles including full-size in the first days or weeks of use can give the water a specific smell. Plasticizer or silicone sealant can smell. The smell of plastic passes most often, but to do this, you have to boil water in it for ten days and pour it out: after all, the taste of the drink will be spoiled, and it’s not good for health. The smell of silicone fishy, iodine should be alert, as quality silicone does not smell.

We advise you to try the purchase before you leave, otherwise you might just take the kettle to the resort, get upset and “do not even drink tea. For many, the presence of odor at all is the most serious disadvantage that causes concern for human health, so you should not buy a kettle in an online store, where you can not smell it.

It has an open element, not a closed one!

Most of the models have closed heating elements – when the coil is hidden under a stainless steel disc. This is a modern trend, which has advantages and disadvantages. There is a perception that such teapots are easier to clean from limescale, but the water boils more slowly. The first is true: if you prefer to vacation where the water is very hard and the kettle has a chance to quickly scale up, the spiral heating element is undesirable. And the speed of boiling depends primarily on the ratio of power, water volume and density of the shell material.

It’s not the power, but the non-power..

Alas, all travel kettles are real turtles. At 600-800 watts they boil 500-600 ml of water in five or six minutes, whereas a full-size kettle boils 1.5-2 liters in two or three minutes! The fastest teapots are recognized by Vitesse and Vitek, the slowest – by Scarlett and Tefal.

Volume and weight do matter

Standard capacity – 0,5 l, more seldom – 0,6-0,7 l, even more seldom 0,8-0,9 l. With different volumes the models have not too different dimensions, for example the 0,9 l model can be so compact that it will take up as much space in your suitcase as the 0,5-0,6 l model. Weight also is not much different – 200-250 grams, so that this model will not create excess baggage weight. Of course, the more people are going, the bigger is the volume, but even half-liter kettle will give a family of four a cup of hot tea: in two steps. But here there is a nuance: choose in this case the model with a very convenient lid, because you have to open it immediately after pouring the first portion of boiling water.

Base, reception!

Most travel devices do not have a wireless connection: for a half liter kettle this is really overkill. But if you’re used to a swivel base and don’t want to go for water with a kettle with a dangling wire, then choose a model with a base – mostly these are models of 0.8-1 l. Speaking of the wire: although in travel kettles it is short

60-70 cm , but it’s better if its length can be adjusted and it doesn’t sag..!

Feldsher will rip out the wires..

Note that not every travel kettle can be easily turned off when needed, such as when there is no water in it or when heating water for baby food. Some models stay on until they boil, and you can only unplug them by pulling the plug.

Sleep, my happiness, go to sleep..

Noise level is not the most important parameter, but if you are traveling with small children, for whom a quiet hour and early bedtime are mandatory, then choose a non-loud model. Interestingly, kettles with a “deaf” body without a water level scale have proven to be such. Uncomfortable, of course, but with better soundproofing.

Would you like a glass of tea??

Some models come with two plastic cups or cups 100-120 ml, so it is an stretch to call them cups. But they are useful in a situation of total absence of containers. Optimally if they have handles in case you need them for tea and not something stronger . Some manufacturers also add spoons. Question: Why don’t they put lemon and brewed tea in the pot??

The whole world in your cup

Travel kettles are often equipped with a voltage switch, located on the bottom of the device. There are two voltage standards: European – 220-240 watts and American – 110-130 watts. You can safely take a model with a switch to South America, Mexico and Cuba, the United States and Canada, Dominica, Japan. Interesting that in Italy the mains voltage is 220W, while in Vatican City it is 127W!

Ergonomics is important

A comfortable lid is also a safe lid. The steam outlet can be hinged preferably it is hinged at the push of a button or detachable it is important that you can put it back in place easily and correctly . If it doesn’t, there’s a chance of getting scalded by boiling water while pouring water into the cup. If the lid is flipped with a knob, that knob has to work perfectly – not too hard, not too soft, not sticky, etc. d. If the lid is lifted by the grip, it must not be too small for your fingers, or your hand will break off and you might get steam burns.

A water level scale or semi-transparent body is desirable: a 0.5 liter kettle is very easy to pour water over! And that’s the risk of getting scalded again when the water boils over. Scale filter in the travel kettle is rare, but the more pleasant encounter.

How were they tested?

We simulated the operation of each kettle for a two-week vacation and saw how it behaved, whether the safety system worked, whether the design failed, how noisy or quiet it was. Some models have received a baptism of fire: have been to the hospital and travel. We also assessed ergonomics: convenience of the lid, scale, spout, etc. d. Checked for a specific smell from the kettle. We measured three parameters with a stopwatch:

1. The boiling time of a full volume of water on the basis of this data we then calculated the speed of boiling and determined the fastest and slowest kettles .

2. Switch-off time after boiling. On the one hand, the quicker it shuts off, the better and safer. On the other hand, prolonged boiling better kills microorganisms and removes excess chlorine.

3. Time to turn off when there is not enough water, as all kettles have this part of the safety system stated.

Silicone is made in solid cheaper and liquid more expensive ways. In the first case, silicone can contain harmful compounds of phenol and formaldehyde. The kettles use silicone seals and the water is in contact with them. Harmful substances are not released from low-quality silicone in hazardous quantities. In general, the release can occur only when heated to 200 ⁰C this temperature of destruction of silicone, from this point of view is much more dangerous “fragrant” silicone baking molds . Water boiling point is 100 ⁰C, which any silicone gasket can withstand without damage.

A little bit of the classics..

How to overcome the spirit of controversy in teapots

“We put the kettle on the stove, on the very bow of the boat, and we went aft and, pretending not to pay attention to it, started to get the rest of the supplies. It’s the only way to get the kettle to boil when you’re on the river. If he sees you waiting for him and losing patience, he won’t even make a noise. You don’t even have to look back at him. Then you’ll soon hear it spitting, burning with impatience to promote tea brewing. It is also good, when you are in a hurry, to talk loudly among yourselves that you do not want tea at all and that you will not drink it. Get close to the kettle, so it can hear you, and shout out, “I don’t want tea, but you, George?” – to which George shouts back, “Oh no, I don’t like tea we’ll drink lemonade instead – tea is so uncomfortable.”. This is where the water boils out of the kettle and pours the spirits. We resorted to this innocent scam, and as a result, the tea was ready before we could handle the rest of our dinner
”

J. k. Jerome’s “Three in the Boat Without Counting the Dog.

Kettle model

Convenience of the lid

Noise level

Convenience of the water level scale

Presence of foreign tastes and odors in the water

Boiling speed max. volume

ml/sec

Compact

SCARLETT SC-021

good

excellent

no scale

no

1,21

excellent

SMILE WSC 1170

good

good

great

have the first few days

1,41

good

TEFAL Travel City

good

good

excellent

is the first few days

1,29

satisfactory

UNIT UEK-215

good

excellent

great

is the first few days

2

satisfactory

VES ELECTRIC VES 1004

ok

well

satisfactory

is the first few days

2,65

excellent

VITEK VT-1134

good

excellent

no scale

is the first few days

2,78

excellent

VITESSE VS-100

perfect

well

no scale

no

2,8

good

MIKMA IP-518

satisfactory

well

excellent

no

1,7

excellent

Kettle model

Volume , l

Power, W

Heating. item

Wireless. base

Voltage switch

Cover

Cups

Limescale filter

Water level scale

Adjusting the cord length

Mikma IP-518

0,5

600

closed

no

no

removable

no

no

transparent case

available

Ves Electric Ves 1004

0,9

900-1100

closed

there is

no

recliner., button

no

yes

yes

is

Scarlett SC-021

0,5

600

closed

no

no

tilt., handle

is

no

no

no

Tefal Travel City

0,48

550-560

closed

no

is

recliner., handle

there is

is

available

is

Smile WSC 1170

0,4

600

closed

no

is

double: hinged removable

there is

no

transparent case

no

Vitesse VS-100

0,7

1000

closed

no

available at

removable

there is

have

no

no

Vitek VT-1134

0,5

1000

closed

no

net

tilt., handle

available at

there is

no

no

Unit Uek-215

1

750-900

open

available

no

recline., button

no

there is

there is

no

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John Techno

Greetings, everyone! I am John Techno, and my expedition in the realm of household appliances has been a thrilling adventure spanning over 30 years. What began as a curiosity about the mechanics of these everyday marvels transformed into a fulfilling career journey.

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Comments: 2
  1. Clementine

    Have you ever tested electric travel kettles alongside traditional samovars? I’m curious to know which one is more efficient and practical for travel purposes.

    Reply
  2. Gavin Lane

    Dear reader, I came across an interesting article discussing the test of electric travel kettles. However, it mentioned “samovar” without explaining its connection. Could you enlighten me on the role of samovars in this context? I am curious about how they relate to the test and electric travel kettles. Thank you!

    Reply
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